Built among existing nursing accommodation near the Royal Surrey County Hospital, the spacious hostel is home to student nurses from 11 health trusts across the South East who are studying at the University of Surrey.

Each room has en-suite facilities and access to a communal kitchen and meeting area. The 36 rooms are sub-divided into six units.

With rain lashing down on appeal supporters and health authority representatives, Mrs Bottomley unveiled a plaque which commemorates Mr Adamsí determination in launching the appeal. He retired as editor in 1986 and died the following year. The unveiling was attended by his brother Bernard, while the newspaper has continued to be represented on the appeal committee by the present editor, Graham Collyer.

Looking back over the history of the appeal, Dr Clive Addis-Jones, a retired Guildford GP and co-trustee of the appeal, explained how it had begun as a determined effort by Mr Adams to build a new nursing training centre for Guildford.

People across the area had been involved in the campaign which had raised £600,000. When health priorities had shifted, the decision had been taken to put the money towards building a new hostel for nurses.

"Fortunately, the provisions of the original campaign allowed the money to be spent in quite a wide way," said Dr Addis-Jones.

"I think that we kept faith with the spirit of the campaign by building this block."

He praised the determination of the fund-raisers and Mr Adams, who had been the early driving force behind the campaign.

Praise also came from the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey, Prof Patrick Dowling, the chief executive of West Surrey Health Authority, Simon Strachan, and Mrs Bottomley.

Bernard Adams said that he wanted to thank everybody individually for their hard work in the appeal.

"I think my brother would have been very moved," he said. "He would have approved of all the tremendous work which has been done here."